The Ivy Café Marylebone

Readers seem more taken with The Ivy Chelsea Garden, but there’s plenty to recommend this classy brand extension. Marylebone loves a grand café, and all the details – heavy silverware, nets at the windows, huge floral sprays – are present and correct. A generous walk-in policy ensures that impulsive passers-by can click-clack over the expensively tiled floor and take a seat among shiny framed prints. Breakfast is a treat and, not surprisingly, there’s a strong comfort element to the rest of the menu; if you crave fishcakes, shepherd’s pie, duck curry or a hamburger, they’ve got your back. Meanwhile, cleaner eaters will find simply grilled fish and healthy-sounding salads (perhaps kale, quinoa, avocado and mixed seeds with ponzu dressing). The wine list is short but serviceable, cocktails include a three-strong Negroni tasting set, service combines formality with warmth, and they’re great with kids – “something for everyone” in fact.

The Marylebone edition of the Ivy is a pretty Grand Café style affair that offers all-day dining just like the rest of its cohort. Superbly located in the buzzing West End of London, the café is surrounded by designer shops and one-off boutiques, as well as the Wallace Collection and green haven, Regent’s Park. It’s an ideal stopping off point for locals and tourists alike to treat themselves to a lovely meal amidst the hubbub that is London.

The menu boasts the classic Ivy fare that has punters coming back time after time, with crowd-pleasers such as the toothsome roasted lamb rump served alongside root vegetables, and the signature Ivy shepherd’s pie. Plus, the menu accommodates to vegans and vegetarians with a dedicated menu jam-packed with hearty dishes that celebrate veggies in the best way.

The café is a great option for all-day dining, starting from the scrumptious breakfast offerings available from 7am. A highlight of the morning menu are the hot buttermilk pancakes, generously topped with fresh berries and a strawberry sauce, but the option to have eggs any way – including a la lobster - will make any brekkie lover happy.

The Marylebone Ivy Café is always an occasion to dress up, have some fun with friends over a cocktail in the evening or treat your loved ones to a special meal. Whether you’re dining to celebrate, or just to try out the splendid menu, the café will warmly welcome you. Punters are always impressed by the elaborate interiors of the swanky establishment, which is beautifully furnished with bright colours and sophisticated touches. 

For other dining occasions, the cream tea is a lovely way to spend an afternoon indulging in freshly baked scones slathered in clotted cream and strawberry preserve, while brunch and cocktail hour are equally respectable times to rock up for a smashing time, replete with lots of good booze. You can’t really go wrong with this classy Ivy establishment.